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5 Companies on the Cutting Edge of Sustainable Prefab Housing

5 Prefab Companies Impacting Green Housing

LivingHomes uses a modular construction process, meaning many of a home's components are manufactured and pre-assembled prior to the on-site build. According to the company, modular construction is less expensive than "stick-built" (or on-site) methods, and also produces less waste.

LivingHomes maintains a detailed "Sustainability Scorecard" for each of its models, which explains how the home in question stacks up to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards. It also breaks down the home's reduced impact in terms of operation and construction, in categories like water efficiency and indoor environmental quality.

Seeking to change the traditional modular housing industry, founders Gordon Stott and Jared Levy created Connect:Homes to eliminate unnecessary factories and streamline the shipping process. It ships modular designs from one factory in Southern California to locations all over the world.

"Previously, if a modular company wanted to have a national presence, they would need to build upwards of 30 factories," Stott told Mashable.

He adds that the word "green" can get thrown around as a marketing gimmick to raise the cost of construction, but Connect:Homes incorporates sustainable appliances and procedures in a way that reduces overall costs.

A traditional home build can create about 8,000 lbs. of landfill waste. Connect:Homes claims to reduce building waste by 75%. It also estimates that a home's accompanying energy-efficient technology and appliances can save owners an average of $3,383 per year.

Like most other prefab construction companies, Stillwater's sustainability begins in the manufacturing process. However, it also incorporates the latest in energy-saving technology into its finished designs.

All Stillwater homes are sealed by an exterior "envelope," comprised of studs, spray foam insulation, plywood, building wrap, rain screen and siding. The multi-layered wall creates a tight exterior to prevent the elements from getting in and valuable energy from escaping.

According to Washington-based Method Homes, on-site construction implemented over months exposes homes to changing weather. Not to mention, that same on-site build can cause waste of 30% or more.

Method Homes are manufactured almost entirely in the company's Pacific Northwest factory, eliminating exposure to the elements and reducing waste to less than 10%.

Once a house is built, owners have the option to implement several "holistically sustainable" features, like reclaimed materials, solar energy, gray water systems, hydronic radiant heat and rainwater harvesting.

Whitney Sander of Sander Architects is proud to achieve grand design under prefab conditions. Its Hybrid House (pictured) features 30-foot ceilings, a scope that can be difficult in modular construction and transportation.

And Sander clients don't need to compromise their visions in a home. The firm promises a "part prefab, all custom" approach to building houses in urban, suburban and rural environments. Essentially, Sander outsources a house's steel frames and the rest is customizable per client. The only catch? Sander requires a minimum 2,000-square-foot build.

Although custom houses are Sander's priority, the company is dedicated to researching green materials and sustainable construction processes throughout the entire process. It was a semi-finalist in 2006's Global Green Sustainable Housing Competition, a design contest for post-Katrina housing concepts.

Prefabrication isn't new. In fact, most everything around you is prefab: that picture frame on your desk, your computer monitor, even the light bulb above your head. Prefab simply means an item or components of an item are pre-assembled in a factory before the final product reaches you.

Even prefab homes have been around for decades. The mobile home revolutionized functional, affordable housing. For its time, modular housing was incredibly waste-efficient, too, compared to the on-site building processes of today, which can exhaust more than 30% of building materials.

Rather than overload our landfills, however, contemporary architectural firms and design companies are rethinking what prefab means for today's waste-conscious and energy-savvy homebuyers. Many are combining traditional modular concepts with a customized approach, allowing clients to select a basic design and alter it according to their tastes.

Once a buyer has chosen his or her concept, the company outsources most — if not all — major construction to factories, where large portions of a house (walls, beams, flooring, etc.) are assembled. The factory ships these prefabricated chunks of house to the build site, where contractors piece them together quickly — often, in a matter of days.

As you can imagine, carefully planned and pre-assembled homes render waste management an exact science. Many prefab homes reduce waste to 10% or less, which conserves the environment and saves money for the buyers. (Many homes can be built in the $200,000 range.)

Because these homes are factory-made, measurements are precise. Large pieces fit together like an erector set, whereupon the house is sealed tightly to conserve energy and potentially save a homeowner thousands of dollars every year. Companies also cut costs by offering features like recycled countertops and Marmoleum flooring.

Although the above five companies all specialize in prefab housing, each maintains a distinct design aesthetic and environmental standard. They represent a growing and influential consumer base that prioritizes sustainable and cost-efficient home solutions at lightning speed, and they could be in your city already.

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